Gambling with Destiny
by Sora Tayuya
Summary: Some simple oneshots regarding the Organization's Gambler of Fate, Luxord. For Wishing-Fire's Destiny Challenge.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Kingdom Hearts name, franchise, or properties.

**Destiny Challenge:** 1. _Their First Love_

Rules: 200 words, one character

* * *

It was less of love than it was devotion.

He was devoted to the game as he never could be a lover; devoted in the sense of losing himself with each draw of the card, each flick of the hand. Nothing could quite beat the thrill of the wager, the tricks behind his pleasant grins, the satisfaction of a well-placed bet. He devoted his life and soul to the games that he played; he always had, and he always would, he believed.

After his heart was lost to the darkness, the games were still there, but he always felt as though something was missing. It was not the jingling coin pot, nor the hearty drink. Company of all sorts was plentiful, and his cards had never looked in finer shape. There was a melancholy in the absence, he noticed, as one might feel after counting a deck a thousand times and still coming up a card short.

He wondered, when attendance of players was lacking, what that feeling had been before his untimely demise. How it was that he never recognized its presence before he lost all connection to it.

_You never know a good thing until it is gone_.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Kingdom Hearts name, franchise, or properties.

**Destiny Challenge:** 2. _Their First Steps  
_

Rules: 200 words, one character

* * *

He wasn't quite sure what to expect from a black hole rising from the ground, darkness weaving itself into the air around the gaping maw. When he was instructed to enter the moving darkness, he was a little more than hesitant. A push was needed to persuade him to enter the portal – a push the man called Xigbar was all too happy to provide – literally.

The first feeling was _cold_, and then the darkness swallowed him whole. In the space where no light existed, he found new light in his eyes in his panicked search for a foothold. In the inky blackness, all darkness was the same, and there were no paths. He recalled being frozen to the spot, concerned about falling into oblivion, until a hand clasped his shoulder from behind.

"Hang on newbie, let me take a crack at it."

A path formed then, from patches of discernible darkness, to form a crooked road towards their destination. Intrigued, he wanted to ask how the man had altered the space, but he was already leaving the other behind. "Are you gonna just stand there all day lollygagging, or are we gonna go get you to the bossman?"

He tripped.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Kingdom Hearts name, franchise, or properties.

**Destiny Challenge:** 3. _The Person They Hate  
_

Rules: 200 words, one character

* * *

It was challenging to be an avid gambler and not garter a bit of negative attention, but he dealt with it in stride. He had always been an amiable fellow, compromising and easily placated, content with his life and comforted by his own successes. It was ironic then, that the one person to ever truly anger him should exist in his life after he had lost the ability to hate.

Unlike the other members of the organization, who either were polite and formal or had the sense to avoid his extended company, Xigbar thrived on delving into his head and twisting his thoughts. A simple chat became a puzzle game of hidden meanings, all hints to knowledge he possessed that others did not. And he had no plans of sharing. It was not a game of chance or skill, but of secrets, and Luxord was losing.

A game designed to be won only by he who knew the rules, Xigbar never let anything slip when they spoke, hiding behind false words and predatory grins. Luxord prided himself on his own wordplay, but even he could not decipher the riddle in Xigbar's words.

And Luxord hated what he could not decipher.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Kingdom Hearts name, franchise, or properties.

**Destiny Challenge:** 4. _Finding Themselves  
_

Rules: 200 words, one character

* * *

"What does he have up his sleeve this time?" They whispered audibly in the Grey Room when they thought he wasn't listening. The other Nobodies spent the majority of their time with Luxord attempting to figure the man out. The challenge began with understanding his peculiar accent, and usually ended with failed attempts at deciphering the plain-speak of his elevated vocabulary.

Had Vexen the time or patience, he may have been able to hold a decent conversation long enough with Luxord to learn something about him. The proud scientist did not care for any neophytes, however, and spent no more time with the man than was necessary. Likewise with the rest of the older members; they simply did not care to spend time working a question they had no benefit from answering.

Luxord, on occasion, would query to himself why he was the way he was, and similarly, if he really cared. In such moments, he would recall all the things he enjoyed in life, regardless of Nobody status, and contemplate his existence.

During such times, he usually came to the conclusion that life is mysterious, and would shortly go and find someone new to hold an amusing conversation with.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Kingdom Hearts name, franchise, or properties.

**Destiny Challenge:** 5. _Experiencing Heartbreak for the First Time  
_

Rules: 200 words, one character

* * *

He remembered losing his heart. They all did, in their own way. For some it was a blur: it happened too quickly, or so long ago that it now felt inconsequential. For others it was a striking moment of their past, the last moment they could feel emotion. Demyx spoke once of his fall into darkness – but only that the memory was vivid, before deflecting further inquiries with a grin that didn't quite meet his eyes.

Luxord remembered the moment, but his memory was hazy. He recalled a searing pain in his chest, at the time accounting it to being run through with a blade. It was the worst pain he had ever felt; though he had never had a lover, in that brief moment near death he imagined that to be the feeling of heartbreak. That analogy caused a brief flicker of humor to trickle through his fleeing heart before it was lost to him.

He remembered amusement as his last feeling. He supposed it was fair, being as things were in his life, that the last emotion he would ever feel would be ironic humor. Oddly, an echo of that same feeling resonated whenever he recalled that moment.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Kingdom Hearts name, franchise, or properties.

**Destiny Challenge:** 6. _The Person They Can't Get Enough of/The Person They Shouldn't Be With_

Rules: 200 words, one character

* * *

When a group becomes too large, its members divide themselves along social cues into smaller factions for day-to-day interactions. The Organization was not immune to this principle of social construction, and as they grew in number, so did their groups.

The most obvious grouping was of the two Keyblade wielders and their caretaker, daily trips out of the white fortress proof enough. Nearly as noticeable was the shared conspirings of Eleven and Twelve, a joke only they were privy to. Vexen tolerated only the presence of Zexion and Lexaeus, but the latter duo were often found in the comfortable silence of the Grey Room. Xigbar came and went as he pleased, while Saïx spent his time in solidarity on paperwork and secret assignments. The Superior kept to himself, seen only at important meetings.

Xaldin, however, could not resist the pull of the cards. He was an avid gambler, and a serious player who loathed losing. He prided himself with having great skill, and Luxord had not the heart to tell him how he threw matches to keep the peace.

For Demyx, hiding behind any distraction to avoid work meant he too was dragged into their games.

And he always lost.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Kingdom Hearts name, franchise, or properties.

**Destiny Challenge:** 7. _The Person Who Loves Them  
_

Rules: 200 words, one character

* * *

When he faded from existence a second time, he wondered if anyone would miss him.

There were so few of his organization left now – Sora was certainly going to find Saix next, and if he was powerful enough to fell him, the only the Superior would remain. He doubted either man would spare a passing thought at his demise; he served his purpose, and failed at his mission. Though the Superior claimed each member of the Organization was crucial, it was clear after recent events with Roxas and Axel that the individuals were not so important as the role they played.

Had the others not been defeated, would they have cared? He didn't think so: he certainly had no great show of remorse over the loss of any others. It was only fitting the same response would be shown to him.

Oddly, his mind next turned to the heart.

He hoped that none had loved him – he remembered what sorrow felt like, and knew what heartbreak looked like on the faces of others throughout his life when he rejected them. He didn't wish for anyone to go through that for his sake. He simply didn't deserve it, Nobody or not.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Kingdom Hearts name, franchise, or properties.

**Destiny Challenge:** 8. _The Best Friend  
_

Rules: 200 words, one character

* * *

He looks at the trio, sometimes, when the workday begins and all gather in the Grey Room to receive their daily assignments. He watches how they speak and act towards one another. He doesn't know where they spend their free time, if they have any, after missions, but he knows they always return to the castle late. Other members have taken notice of their absences as well.

It is a daily ritual, or so he heard from Demyx, that the three run off to some world and do foolish things after missions. The sitar player mostly mumbled a half-hearted account alongside a vague reason why the commons area had better acoustics anyway. Regardless of Demyx's faux feelings over their daily excursions, Luxord presumed the boy's info to be at least partially true. It was one of the few things he had legitimate skill in, after all.

He wondered sometimes what having constant companions would be like, and how it would feel. It was a pointless endeavor, for those without hearts, to engage in activities requiring emotions. Yet he wondered all the same how such companionship would feel.

He wondered if circumstances were different, if he would like having best friends.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Kingdom Hearts name, franchise, or properties.

**Destiny Challenge:** 9. _Losing It All__  
_

Rules: 200 words, one character

* * *

The stakes were high and the cards were stacked against him, yet something in him urged him to press on. He had no choice in the matter, officially. It was only himself and Saïx who remained to guard the Superior. He had nothing left to fight for but his vow to serve the organization.

It had been a long time since he felt a high success rate. It began to fall with the heavy losses at Castle Oblivion, when their numbers were cut by half. Technically it did not matter, so long as they held the Keyblade's power to capture hearts, but it did weaken future attempts to keep dissenters at bay.

Such as now, when Sora went through their ranks one after another. Even the high and mighty Xigbar had been felled by this boy's blade. Luxord knew deep within the space that should have housed a heart that this would be his final mission.

Without hope, he spurred himself on to play his best game; a glorious final round he hoped they all would remember. After all, only memories would remain upon his defeat. He knew his time was up.

Even the Ace is felled by a Joker.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Kingdom Hearts name, franchise, or properties.

**Destiny Challenge:** 10. _Succeeding  
_

Rules: 200 words, one character

* * *

Luxord blinked.

Before him lay the chosen hero Sora, his Keyblade disappearing in a flash of light. He groaned once, but did not stir.

The man did not know what happened; he was sure Sora had struck the final blow during their game…

In the back of his hazy mind felt his familiar tug of magic, and distantly he recalled removing the boy's entourage from time momentarily. In a daze, he walked over to the fallen hero and stooped over to grab the boy.

Holding the limp figure under one arm, he snapped his fingers, freeing the boy's companions. Before the cards stopped spinning he vanished, the defeated hero within his grasp.

He brought the boy to Xemnas. He smiled, said 'job well done', and whisked the boy away. Completing his orders, he worked with Saïx to split the group further, and eventually managed to evict all of the intruders from their world.

After reporting to the Superior, who stood beneath a completed heart-shaped moon, he inquired as to what happened to the boy. Xemnas only smiled.

Luxord wondered why, if they had succeeded, he felt things were not as they were meant to be.

One week later, Roxas returned.


End file.
